NFL playoff picture: Eagles No. 1 seed scenarios, Chiefs eliminated, two teams clinch

Thanks to Sunday’s blowout win against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-12), the Eagles (9-5) are in great shape to make the NFL playoffs and even host a game at the Linc.

How good? The New York Times now pegs the Eagles’ chances of making the playoffs and hosting a wild card game at 99%, thanks in part to the Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1) loss to the Minnesota Vikings (6-8) Sunday night.

The Birds remained in the NFC’s No. 3 spot, and if the season ended today they’d be hosting the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers (10-4) at the Linc during wild card weekend.

Here’s a look at the current playoff picture for the Eagles and the rest of the NFL:

In the NFC East, the Eagles’ magic number — combined wins and Cowboys losses — is now just one. That means the Birds could clinch both the division and a playoff berth with a win in Week 16 against the Washington Commanders (4-10).

The Birds would also clinch the NFC East with just one more Cowboys loss.

Even if Dallas manages to win their final three games — at home against the Chargers and on the road against the Commanders and New York Giants (2-12) — they would still need the Eagles to lose out overtake the Birds in the standings.

Considering the Birds face the Marcus Mariota-led Commanders twice in the final three weeks, oddsmakers see that as impossibly unlikely. As in less than a 1% chance, according to the New York Times.

Both the Commanders and Giants have already been eliminated from playoff contention, but both could play the role of spoiler in the coming weeks.

You’re saying there’s still a chance?

Despite Sunday’s win, the Eagles still face an all-but-impossible chance to end the season in the NFC’s No. 1 playoff spot.

What would have to happen? For starters, the Birds need to win their final three games ― against the Buffalo Bills (10-4) and twice against the Commanders ― to even have a shot at the top playoff seed.

Now comes the tricky part. In all likelihood, the Eagles would need four of the NFC’s top teams to lose two of their final three games, according to Wharton professor and Eagles analytics nerd Deniz Selman — the Los Angeles Rams (11-3), Seattle Seahawks (11-3), San Francisco 49ers (10-4), and Bears.

All four teams won Sunday, so the Eagles already-slim odds got worst, despite the Birds’ win.

There are some even less-likely scenarios where the Eagles could win on tiebreakers, but it all points to the road to a Super Bowl repeat not going through the Linc.

Odds are the Eagles will win the NFC East and enter the playoffs at the NFC’s No. 3 seed, but the Birds could also end up as the No. 2 seed if things fall their way. Having tiebreakers against most of the top NFC teams helps, though not with the Packers because of that pesky tie.

The Birds entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed last year, and that seemed to work out well.

Entering Week 15, not a single team in the league had clinched a playoff spot. That changed Sunday, with the Rams officially becoming the NFC’s first playoff team thanks to a 41-34 win against the Detroit Lions (8-6).

The No. 1 seed will take a few weeks to sort out, thanks to a tight race in the NFC West featuring the Seattle Seahawks (11-3) and 49ers.

What’s wild is there’s a possibility a team like the Lions, Bears, 49ers, Seahawks, or even Rams could end the season with 12 wins and miss the playoffs due to tiebreakers for the final wild card. That’s never happened in NFL history, though two teams have missed the playoffs with 11 wins — the 1985 Denver Broncos and the 2008 New England Patriots.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) moved back into the No. 4 seed and lead the NFC South thanks to the Carolina Panthers (7-7) loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Buccaneers and Panthers will face off next week in a game that will likely decide the division.

Just one NFC team faced elimination in Week 15. The Vikings will officially be booted out of the postseason race with a loss to the Cowboys Monday night.

The No. 1 seed Denver Broncos (12-2) clinched the AFC’s first playoff spot and their second-straight postseason appearance under head coach Sean Payton with a win against the Packers.

The No. 2 seed New England Patriots (11-2) could have clinched the AFC East, but blew a 21-point lead to Josh Allen and the Bills Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs (6-8) were eliminated from the playoffs Sunday for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era thanks to their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Cincinnati Bengals (4-10) were also eliminated from the playoffs Sunday, clinching their third-straight season without a playoff appearance. No wonder Joe Burrow is frustrated and whirling up the trade rumor machine.

The Miami Dolphins (6-7) enter Week 15 on a four-game winning streak, but could be booted from the playoffs with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) Monday night.

We’re a little less than a month away from the first playoff game, which will take place on wild-card weekend beginning Jan. 10.

Six games will take place in the first round of the playoffs, airing across Fox, CBS, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. Amazon will also exclusively stream a wild-card game on Prime Video for the second straight season.

Super Bowl LX (or 60, for those who don’t like Roman numerals) is being held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., home of the San Francisco 49ers. NBC will broadcast this year’s Super Bowl.

Here are the sites announced for future Super Bowls: